Our Past
Binghamton University opened its doors as Triple Cities College in 1946 to serve the needs of local veterans returning from service in World War II. Originally located in Endicott, N.Y., five miles west of the present campus, the fledgling school was a branch of Syracuse University.
Four years later, the college was incorporated into the State University of New York (SUNY) and renamed Harpur College in honor of Robert Harpur, a Colonial teacher, patriot and pioneer who helped settle the area west of Binghamton.
In 1961, the campus moved across the Susquehanna River to Vestal. Growing enrollment and a reputation for excellence soon led to the selection of Harpur College as one of four doctorate-granting University Centers in the SUNY system.
In 1965, the campus was formally designated the State University of New York at Binghamton, and in 1992, Binghamton University was adopted as our informal name.
Our Present
Binghamton University enjoys an ever-increasing national recognition for academic quality, innovative research and scholarship, and educational value. We are ranked by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 "very high research" institution — one of only 146 in the nation. Our economic development partnerships with the community and state are strong, our New Energy New York project was awarded more than $113 million to establish a hub for battery technology innovation in upstate New York. The U.S. Economic Development Administration authorized $63.7 million and New York state added $50 million for the NENY project. Our educational outreach and service initiatives continue to support local communities. With our growing regional presence, highlighted by our new Health Sciences Campus in Johnson City, N.Y., we are well-prepared to build on our role as a leader in higher education.
Our Future
Binghamton University is guided by a strategic plan — theRoad Map to Premier— that keeps us moving forward to achieve our goal of becoming the premier public university of the 21st century.
